Biggest Yoga Picnic for fifth birthday
In a matter of weeks, a unique calm will envelop Lilliput House on the shores of Lough Ennell, as tranquillity is channelled through the yoga enthusiasts who gather for the fifth iteration of The Yoga Picnic.
That calm is in direct contrast to the organisation that has had to take place to make the event happen. What began as a small yoga gathering, has grown into one of Ireland’s biggest wellness festivals, attracting thousands of visitors from across Ireland, Europe and the United States.
It’s been quite a journey. The first Yoga Picnic welcomed just 120 attendees. By year two, early bird tickets sold out in nine minutes and attendance jumped to more than 1,000 people. The event has since grown to attract some 2,000 attendees annually.
This year The Yoga Picnic returns to the grounds of Lilliput House on Saturday July 4. Crafted by sisters Alice and Katy Harrison, and collaborator Mary Gardiner, The Yoga Picnic is an Irish small business success story.
“We’re flying people over from America, the UK and India for the picnic,” Katy Harrison told the Examiner.
“We have presenters and teachers coming from all over the world. We also have a few attendees of the festival from England and America as well. That’s really exciting.”
Drawing people in search of peace to Lough Ennell is one of the easier tasks for the organisers: “I feel the location is really magical. Lilliput House is like a step away from the world. Everyone says they feel that the minute they arrive on the day, it’s an escape from the busyness or chaos of their life.
“Lilliput, with the surrounds of the lake and the forest, presents the openness and expansiveness of the land,” Kate said.
The idea was born after Alice, a criminal barrister and published legal author, moved from Dublin to rural Westmeath to be with her husband, who runs an organic farm.
Searching for connection and community in her new home, she found it through yoga classes run by Mary Gardiner in Kilbeggan.
What started as a small outdoor yoga picnic for a handful of teachers and students quickly snowballed.
“We never planned for it to become a festival,” the organisers said. “But there was clearly a huge appetite for connection, wellbeing and community.
“We’re proud that something which started as a small local gathering in the midlands has become an international event bringing people to the heart of Ireland.”
The festival’s family roots are central to the story. Alice and Katy were both trained by their father, Jack Harrison, founder of the Celtic School of Yoga in Kinvara, Galway, creating a rare multi-generational Irish yoga business.
New areas
To celebrate this landmark fifth year, the festival is introducing a lineup of new areas along and internationally renowned teachers Tara Judelle and Dylan Werner, both from the USA, are coming to Ireland especially for the festival. For the first time, attendees can experience a dedicated reformer Pilates tent.
Foodies will be treated to the new ‘Cook with Kia Kitchen’ where celebrity chefs including Ciara Turley also known as ‘The Tummy Fairy’ and Alannah Sheehan known more familiarly online as ‘Worthfightingfor’ will host live cooking demonstrations in a kitchen uniquely powered by Kia electric cars.
As the sun sets, the festival will transition into the evening with a new night-time stage featuring DJs to keep the energy going.
The festival has also gained recognition for its sustainability, and, in partnership with Kia Ireland, it replaced traditional diesel generators with electric vehicles to power festival tents, reducing emissions and noise.
Mary, a mother of four and yoga studio owner, together with Alice, a mother of two, held the first festival in 2022. They were joined by Katy, a full-time primary school teacher, in 2023.
• theyogapicnic.com